{"id":265564,"date":"2025-11-17T05:04:49","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T06:04:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/?p=265564"},"modified":"2025-11-17T07:04:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T07:04:44","slug":"reimagining-african-identity-culture-history-and-philosophy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/builder\/reimagining-african-identity-culture-history-and-philosophy\/","title":{"rendered":"Reimagining African identity, culture, history, and philosophy"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post<\/a> was originally published on this site<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>\n

Delivering the seventh Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair Founders\u2019 Lecture at Unisa, Ambassador Thenjiwe Mtintso challenged South African universities to reclaim African languages as instruments of identity and educational transformation.   <\/span><\/p>\n

On a rainy Friday evening, on 7 November 2025, the Kgorong Building at Unisa\u2019s main campus glistened under the downpour as Africa\u2019s first Nobel Peace Laureate was celebrated with the seventh Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair Founders\u2019 Lecture. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hosted by Unisa\u2019s Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair in collaboration with the Luthuli Museum Council, the lecture was themed \u201cReclaiming African Languages: Identity, Knowledge, and Educational Transformation\u201d. The lecture is held annually to honour Chief Luthuli, who was awarded the 1960 Nobel Peace Prize for advocating non-violent resistance to racial discrimination.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reviving indigenous tongues <\/b><\/p>\n

Welcoming attendees, on behalf of Unisa\u2019s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, the acting Vice-Principal of Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation, Professor Mpho Ngoepe, elucidated the importance of reclaiming indigenous languages, weaving the university\u2019s decolonial journey into the tapestry of language and memory aligned to Luthuli\u2019s vision and legacy.  <\/span><\/p>\n

According to Ngoepe, the erosion of African languages through colonial imposition imperils the transmission of cultural memory and the continuity of African epistemologies. \u201cThe colonial legacy,\u201d he noted, \u201cextends far beyond land and labour; it penetrates consciousness, classrooms, and vocabularies. The continued dominance of colonial languages in African education systems represents not just a historical continuity but a structural constraint; one that limits how we understand ourselves, how we construct meaning, and how we imagine the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ngoepe stated that it was important to claim African languages and identities that connect indigenous people to their cultural heritage, and also empower future generations. \u201cOur languages are not merely instruments of speech; they are the arteries through which our cultures flow, our histories breathe, and our identities are formed,\u201d he said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Linguistic empowerment transforms education. <\/b><\/p>\n

One of the elements Ngoepe gave attention to was the transformation brought about by reclaiming African languages to reimagine education. Drawing from research, he noted that it has been proven that mother-tongue instruction, mainly in early schooling, enhances learning outcomes, improves comprehension, and fosters deeper critical engagement. \u201cChildren enter the world of knowledge not as outsiders but inheritors when they learn in their mother tongues,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is within this ideology that Ngoepe urged universities to transform education in a way that embeds African languages in the curriculum, from primary education to tertiary education. He further said it requires high-quality textbooks, teacher training, linguistic research, and terminological innovation capable of expressing complex ideas in African idioms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anti-apartheid activist, politician and ambassador, Thenjiwe Mtintso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In conclusion, Ngoepe stated that reclaiming African languages is about reclaiming cognitive, cultural, and creative freedom, restoring Africa\u2019s own voice, and engaging the world on equal terms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sandile Luthuli, grandson of Chief Albert Luthuli, referenced the recent Pietermaritzburg High Court proceedings on the original findings regarding the cause of his grandfather\u2019s death, which he believes was orchestrated. Commenting on the lecture\u2019s theme, he said: \u201cOne can only imagine the broader reach this judgment could have had, had it been delivered in one of our indigenous languages, particularly isiZulu, which is Chief Luthuli\u2019s language.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Africa\u2019s traditions: identity and naming <\/b><\/p>\n

Incumbent of Unisa\u2019s Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair, Professor Puleng Segalo, explored the interrelatedness of the naming of children and African convictions. <\/span><\/p>\n

Segalo reminded the audience of Luthuli\u2019s other name, Mvumbi, which means “rain,” and thanked attendees for braving the inclement weather to participate in critical conversations centred around important themes, such as African languages. <\/span><\/p>\n

Segalo said that Luthuli understood that true freedom extends beyond political liberation to encompass cultural and linguistic sovereignty. \u201cHis advocacy for non-violence was rooted in African communal values and Ubuntu philosophy, concepts that find their fullest expression in indigenous languages,\u201d she continued. \u201cWe are not just named for the sake of names; our names have meanings; hence, African languages are integral to our identity. Our naming is also integral to our cosmology.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Citing historian Professor Kwesi Prah, Segalo said, \u201cNo society can develop on a borrowed language. Linguistic dependency translates to intellectual dependency. When the languages of scholarship, technology and policy remain colonial, knowledge itself becomes a foreign project.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTowards the Africa we want\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Delivering the lecture, Ambassador Thenjiwe Mtintso, South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, spoke on Luthuli’s humanism and the ethics of language. Mtintso described Luthuli as a man whose moral clarity and commitment to justice continue to be the guiding torch lighting our steps towards the Africa we want. <\/span><\/p>\n

She said, \u201cInkosi Luthuli came into politics through education. As a trained teacher and school principal, he experienced daily how language carries identity and meaning. Mtintso said any system that denies people the full dignity of their language and culture also denies their humanity. \u201cAfrican languages,\u201d she said, \u201care living archives of philosophy, custom, culture, knowledge, law, spirituality, and humour.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mtintso said that Luthuli strongly believed that schools should cultivate personhood, responsibility and competence, and that this would be possible when learners can think, reason and create in the languages of their deepest understanding. \u201cLuthuli’s principles advanced beyond tokenism, recognising African languages as official languages,\u201d she said, commenting on how  African education was made inferior to white education. \u201cEnglish and Afrikaans were recognised as languages of power and privilege,\u201d she explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grandson of Chief Albert Luthuli, Sandile Luthuli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reflections on culture, language, and identity<\/b><\/p>\n

Continuing her address, Mtintso emphasised that the cultural heritage of indigenous people must be a daily lived experience. \u201cWe must recognise that our culture and language are neither static nor stagnant,\u201d she said. \u201dI strongly believe that they must progress to meet today’s realities while casting a light into the future. The progression of our languages must flow into the river and eventually conquer the oceans.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

According to Mtintso, language is not just a tool for communication, but the repository of our soul, the mirror of our identity, and the carrier of our histories. \u201cNot speaking one\u2019s own language,\u201d she added, \u201cis a unique loss of cultural knowledge. Even though colonialism taught us that our languages were inferior, our tongues were not for science, law, and governance. Our languages invoke ancestors, the cosmos, and philosophies.\u201d She also spoke at length on Agenda 2063\u2019s aspiration number 5, epistemic violence, and black consciousness. \u201cReclaiming African languages is not nostalgic, it is revolutionary,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the keynote address by Mtintso, who was also celebrating her 75<\/span>th<\/span> birthday, respondents Professor Daniel Matjila, from Unisa\u2019s Department of African Languages, and Khumo Feni, from North-West University, covered the themes discussed in the lecture.<\/span><\/p>\n

The lecture was a resounding success, graced by, among others, Panyaza Lesufi, Premier of Gauteng, and Advocate Nakedi Ribane, a veteran actress who has spoken boldly against injustice, inequality and unfairness in the arts. <\/span><\/p>\n

Chairperson of the Luthuli Museum Council, Advocate Charlie Naidoo, concluded the lecture with a vote of thanks. <\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Delivering the seventh Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair Founders\u2019 Lecture at Unisa, Ambassador Thenjiwe Mtintso challenged South African universities to reclaim African languages as instruments of identity and educational transformation.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0On a rainy Friday evening, on 7 November 2025, the Kgorong Building at Unisa\u2019s main campus glistened under the downpour as Africa\u2019s first Nobel Peace Laureate was celebrated with the seventh Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair Founders\u2019 Lecture.\u00a0Hosted by Unisa\u2019s Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair in collaboration with the Luthuli Museum Council, the lecture was themed \u201cReclaiming African Languages: Identity, Knowledge, and Educational Transformation\u201d. The lecture is held annually to honour Chief Luthuli, who was awarded the 1960 Nobel Peace Prize for advocating non-violent resistance to racial discrimination.Reviving indigenous tongues\u00a0Welcoming attendees, on behalf of Unisa\u2019s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, the acting Vice-Principal of Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation, Professor Mpho Ngoepe, elucidated the importance of reclaiming indigenous languages, weaving the university\u2019s decolonial journey into the tapestry of language and memory aligned to Luthuli\u2019s vision and legacy.\u00a0\u00a0According to Ngoepe, the erosion of African languages through colonial imposition imperils the transmission of cultural memory and the continuity of African epistemologies. \u201cThe colonial legacy,\u201d he noted, \u201cextends far beyond land and labour; it penetrates consciousness, classrooms, and vocabularies. The continued dominance of colonial languages in African education systems represents not just a historical continuity but a structural constraint; one that limits how we understand ourselves, how we construct meaning, and how we imagine the world.\u201dNgoepe stated that it was important to claim African languages and identities that connect indigenous people to their cultural heritage, and also empower future generations. \u201cOur languages are not merely instruments of speech; they are the arteries through which our cultures flow, our histories breathe, and our identities are formed,\u201d he said.\u00a0Linguistic empowerment transforms education.\u00a0One of the elements Ngoepe gave attention to was the transformation brought about by reclaiming African languages to reimagine education. Drawing from research, he noted that it has been proven that mother-tongue instruction, mainly in early schooling, enhances learning outcomes, improves comprehension, and fosters deeper critical engagement. \u201cChildren enter the world of knowledge not as outsiders but inheritors when they learn in their mother tongues,\u201d he said.It is within this ideology that Ngoepe urged universities to transform education in a way that embeds African languages in the curriculum, from primary education to tertiary education. He further said it requires high-quality textbooks, teacher training, linguistic research, and terminological innovation capable of expressing complex ideas in African idioms.Anti-apartheid activist, politician and ambassador, Thenjiwe MtintsoIn conclusion, Ngoepe stated that reclaiming African languages is about reclaiming cognitive, cultural, and creative freedom, restoring Africa\u2019s own voice, and engaging the world on equal terms.Sandile Luthuli, grandson of Chief Albert Luthuli, referenced the recent Pietermaritzburg High Court proceedings on the original findings regarding the cause of his grandfather\u2019s death, which he believes was orchestrated. Commenting on the lecture\u2019s theme, he said: \u201cOne can only imagine the broader reach this judgment could have had, had it been delivered in one of our indigenous languages, particularly isiZulu, which is Chief Luthuli\u2019s language.\u201dAfrica\u2019s traditions: identity and naming\u00a0Incumbent of Unisa\u2019s Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair, Professor Puleng Segalo, explored the interrelatedness of the naming of children and African convictions.\u00a0Segalo reminded the audience of Luthuli\u2019s other name, Mvumbi, which means “rain,” and thanked attendees for braving the inclement weather to participate in critical conversations centred around important themes, such as African languages.\u00a0Segalo said that Luthuli understood that true freedom extends beyond political liberation to encompass cultural and linguistic sovereignty. \u201cHis advocacy for non-violence was rooted in African communal values and Ubuntu philosophy, concepts that find their fullest expression in indigenous languages,\u201d she continued. \u201cWe are not just named for the sake of names; our names have meanings; hence, African languages are integral to our identity. Our naming is also integral to our cosmology.\u201dCiting historian Professor Kwesi Prah, Segalo said, \u201cNo society can develop on a borrowed language. Linguistic dependency translates to intellectual dependency. When the languages of scholarship, technology and policy remain colonial, knowledge itself becomes a foreign project.\u201d\u00a0\u201cTowards the Africa we want\u201dDelivering the lecture, Ambassador Thenjiwe Mtintso, South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, spoke on Luthuli’s humanism and the ethics of language. Mtintso described Luthuli as a man whose moral clarity and commitment to justice continue to be the guiding torch lighting our steps towards the Africa we want.\u00a0She said, \u201cInkosi Luthuli came into politics through education. As a trained teacher and school principal, he experienced daily how language carries identity and meaning. Mtintso said any system that denies people the full dignity of their language and culture also denies their humanity. \u201cAfrican languages,\u201d she said, \u201care living archives of philosophy, custom, culture, knowledge, law, spirituality, and humour.\u201dMtintso said that Luthuli strongly believed that schools should cultivate personhood, responsibility and competence, and that this would be possible when learners can think, reason and create in the languages of their deepest understanding. \u201cLuthuli’s principles advanced beyond tokenism, recognising African languages as official languages,\u201d she said, commenting on how\u00a0 African education was made inferior to white education. \u201cEnglish and Afrikaans were recognised as languages of power and privilege,\u201d she explained.Grandson of Chief Albert Luthuli, Sandile LuthuliReflections on culture, language, and identityContinuing her address, Mtintso emphasised that the cultural heritage of indigenous people must be a daily lived experience. \u201cWe must recognise that our culture and language are neither static nor stagnant,\u201d she said. \u201dI strongly believe that they must progress to meet today’s realities while casting a light into the future. The progression of our languages must flow into the river and eventually conquer the oceans.\u201d\u00a0According to Mtintso, language is not just a tool for communication, but the repository of our soul, the mirror of our identity, and the carrier of our histories. \u201cNot speaking one\u2019s own language,\u201d she added, \u201cis a unique loss of cultural knowledge. Even though colonialism taught us that our languages were inferior, our tongues were not for science, law, and governance. Our languages invoke ancestors, the cosmos, and philosophies.\u201d She also spoke at length on Agenda 2063\u2019s aspiration number 5, epistemic violence, and black consciousness. \u201cReclaiming African languages is not nostalgic, it is revolutionary,\u201d she said.Following the keynote address by Mtintso, who was also celebrating her 75th birthday, respondents Professor Daniel Matjila, from Unisa\u2019s Department of African Languages, and Khumo Feni, from North-West University, covered the themes discussed in the lecture.The lecture was a resounding success, graced by, among others, Panyaza Lesufi, Premier of Gauteng, and Advocate Nakedi Ribane, a veteran actress who has spoken boldly against injustice, inequality and unfairness in the arts.\u00a0Chairperson of the Luthuli Museum Council, Advocate Charlie Naidoo, concluded the lecture with a vote of thanks.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":265566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-265564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-builder"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265564"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":265569,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265564\/revisions\/265569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}